TAJIKISTAN NEEDS $8 MILLION TO RECOVER FROM FLOODS AND MUDFLOWS – UN

The United Nations is calling on donors to fund the nearly $8 million appeal launched by Tajikistan today to help thousands of people uprooted and affected by floods and resulting mudflows in the Central Asian nation.

During the heavy rains in April and May, 26 people were killed while more than 3,000 others were forced to leave their homes. Over 2,000 houses, hospitals, schools and other buildings were destroyed in a six-week period.

The Government and aid agencies drew from existing stocks to assist those in need by providing tents, food, clean water and emergency health care, but hundreds of families are still living with relatives or in tents and are struggling to re-start their livelihoods.

"Now we must give affected people the chance to restart their lives," said Michael Jones, UN Resident Representative in Tajikistan. "For this, we are counting on the support of the international community."

More than 2,000 people are in need of proper housing before December, when temperatures can plummet to -25 degrees Celsius.

Additionally, essential medicine and school supplies must be replenished, with 20,000 people in need of access to drinking water and 3,100 children waiting to return to school.

The $7.7 million appeal comprises 18 projects focusing on the worst-hit areas in Tajikistan's centre and south. Solid and heated houses, along with schools and hospitals, are reconstruction priorities.

In June, aid organizations had called for $1.3 million to help some 12,000 people in urgent need of assistance after floods inundated more than half the Central Asian nation's districts.

UN HUMANITARIAN WING ASSISTING TAJIK FLOOD VICTIMS

UN HUMANITARIAN WING ASSISTING TAJIK FLOOD VICTIMS
New York, May 26 2009 4:00PM
The United Nations is assisting the Government of Tajikistan in meeting humanitarian needs following recent severe floods, which have killed at least 28 people and displaced some 10,000, including by providing over $100,000 to purchase crucial supplies.

The worst affected area is the south-western province of Khatlon, which is also Tajikistan's most populous province, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/">OCHA) said.

Around 300 displaced families are currently sheltered in two tented camps near the town of Uyali, while the rest are staying with friends and relatives.

According to Government estimates, more than 2,000 buildings have been destroyed or severely damaged and 3,000 head of cattle killed.

The Government also estimates the damage at $100 million with major losses in agricultural, infrastructure and residential sectors.

OCHA has sent $118,250 to buy tents, fuel, and clean water for victims of the floods, which were caused by prolonged and heavy rainfall over the past month.

This support has almost completely covered the most urgent humanitarian needs for now, OCHA stated. At the same time, it has alerted the international community about the situation in Tajikistan and stands ready to provide additional support through its regional office in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
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GLOBAL CRISES, ENERGY, AFGHANISTAN TOP AGENDA AT UN-ORGANIZED CENTRAL ASIA FORUM

GLOBAL CRISES, ENERGY, AFGHANISTAN TOP AGENDA AT UN-ORGANIZED CENTRAL ASIA FORUM
New York, Mar 13 2009 7:01PM

The impact of the global financial crisis, problems concerning water and energy supplies and developments in Afghanistan were high on the agenda at a United Nations-organized seminar that brought Central Asian nations together to address current challenges.

The meeting was organized by the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA), established in 2007 to help the countries of the region – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan – respond more proactively to cross-border challenges and threats, such as terrorism, drug trafficking, organized crime and environmental degradation, before they become costlier and more difficult to control.

The two-day meeting, which began on 10 March, brought together government officials, experts and academics, among others, to the capital of Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, for what a senior UN official called a "necessary and timely" gathering amid important developments in the world and in the region.

"The participants acknowledged that an individual approach is not a viable solution, that it is important to find shared solutions," Miroslav Jenca, the Secretary-General's Special Representative and head of UNRCCA, told the UN News Centre.

The need to work together in facing challenges was especially underscored in the context of dealing with the ongoing economic and financial crisis. Mr. Jenca noted that some countries might be tempted to find solutions taking into account their national interests only, and not considering the interests of the whole region.

Participants at the meeting, which also included representatives from Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Germany, Iran, Turkey, Russia, France, Slovakia and the United States, recognized this as a "dangerous tendency," he said, and they agreed that regional cooperation was vital in order to find viable solutions.

The impact of the global economic downturn has been felt in the region, especially in countries such as Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan that are more integrated in the global economy, Mr. Jenca pointed out, while adding that "none of the countries in the region are immune against the crisis."

The effects have included the devaluation of national currencies and a curtailing of projects due to lack of funding. The downturn has also affected labour migration, with migrants being unable to find enough jobs in other countries, or if they can find jobs, they are being paid less, all of which lead to a decrease in remittances, he said.

In addition, problems related to water management and energy supplies are a major challenge for the region, which as a whole has enough water and enough energy. "The problem is how to find agreement among the five countries in order to use these resources for the benefit of all countries in the region," stated Mr. Jenca, who took up his post last June.

The Regional Centre is particularly active in the area of water and energy, which is one of its priority areas. At the same time, the Special Representative noted that the UN's role is to assist countries, not replace governments.

"The role of the leadership of the countries is extremely important in order to ensure sustainable development, and they bear primary responsibility for socio-economic development and also for addressing the crisis," he stated.
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